Sip for SIFF

SIFFcast with Kimberly Reed and John S. Adams

Director and subject of DARK MONEY

Women in Cinema

Sept 17-24, 2015

Some of this year's highlights include Holly Morris's documentary The Babushkas of Chernobyl; the newest from Catherine Hardwicke (Miss You Already); opening night romance It's Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong; and guests Penelope Spheeris (The Decline of Western Civilization, Pt. 1; Wayne's World) and Ondi Timoner (Brand: A Second Coming) who also presents a special masterclass on documentary filmmaking.

September 17, 2015

In this sparkling walk-and-talk romance set in the city of Hong Kong, an attraction forms between a Chinese American woman (Jamie Chung, <em>Eden</em>) visiting for the first time, and a handsome American expat (Bryan Greenberg) who escorts her through the nighttime streets pulsing with energy and possibility.

September 18, 2015

Director Penelope Spheeris was intimately in tune with the late ’70s Los Angeles punk scene–including bands like Germs, Black Flag, X, Fear, and Circle Jerks–giving her unpredicted access for this riveting and unflinching documentary that captured a major cultural phenomenon, and launched an iconic film trilogy.

September 18, 2015

With a background in the real world of DIY rock and roll, Penelope Spheeris was the perfect choice to take the exploits of SNL fixtures stars Wayne and Garth to the big screen. When the duo is offered a fat contract by sleazy TV exec Rob Lowe they discover that the road from basement to big time is a gnarly one. Party on!

September 19, 2015

Three feisty, feminist nuns pursue social justice work-from serving those on the margins to fighting for Catholic women's equality–and stage a cross-country Nuns on the Bus tour which transforms American politics–and the Vatican itself.

September 19, 2015

Documentary filmmaker Vanessa Hope explores the complex relations between the U.S. and China through the interlocking stories of U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman, his adopted Chinese daughter, and a blind legal advocate seeking asylum in the U.S.

September 19, 2015

In the isolated post-nuclear disaster "dead zone" of Chernobyl, an unlikely community of women have survived for the past 30 years, cultivating the toxic earth and tangling with an assortment of interlopers, all while maintaining an heroic blend of resilience and independence.

September 19, 2015

Director Catherine Hardwicke explores the power of BFFs, as two childhood best friends (Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore) find their lives turned upside down when one discovers sheÍs pregnant just as the other learns she has breast cancer.

September 20, 2015

South Central LA is on the brink of a food revolution. Following new gardeners over a growing season, including self-proclaimed “gangster gardener” Ron Finley, Delila Vallot’s intimate debut calls on people to put their hands in the soil, planting gardens to restore the neighborhood and transform the community in the process.

September 20, 2015

Adapted from her best-selling novel, writer/director Adriana Trigiani tells a tale of family secrets and self-discovery in an Appalachian coal-mining town of the late 1970's. The award-winning ensemble cast includes Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg, Jane Krakowski, Jenna Elfman, and Patrick Wilson.

September 20, 2015

Maverick documentary director Ondi Timoner (<em>Dig!</em>) follows comedian/author/activist Russell Brand as he dives headlong into drugs, sex, and fame in an attempt to find happiness_only to evolve into an unlikely political disruptor and underground hero.

September 21, 2015

Two-time Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winning Filmmaker, Ondi Timoner (DIG! & WE LIVE IN PUBLIC) deconstructs the process of making a powerful nonfiction feature. As an entrepreneur, curator, and web pathbreaker, Ondi continues to push the boundaries through such web based projects as atotaldisruption.com and BYOD (Bring Your Own Documentary). This onstage Masterclass program is guaranteed to stimulate your senses, expand your thinking, and open your eyes to a new world of possibilities.

September 22, 2015

Blending reality and fiction, Dutch director Mijke de Jong collaborated with star Leonoor Pauw, who has terminal lung cancer, for an intimate portrait of friendship and sisterhood, as Leonoor gathers her dearest friends together to make the most of the time she has left.

September 23, 2015

The second feature from renowned French actress Mélanie Laurent, this dramatic thriller follows two high-school girls who form a sudden and intense friendship that, once it begins to sour, turns into all-out psychological warfare.

September 24, 2015

Inspired by the real-life friendship between legendary filmmaker Eric Rohmer and actor Jocelyn Quivrin, this delightfully funny French comedy follows a young actor who hopes to become the next Bruce Willis style action hero until he meets a legendary independent filmmaker played by screen great Michael Lonsdale.

SIFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world. It is through the art of cinema that we foster a community that is more informed, aware, and alive.